Ben Larken

Ben Larken (http://larkenbooks.yolasite.com/) has quietly been gathering acclaim in horror circles, beginning with the publication of his debut novel Pit-Stop and continuing on through his sophomore effort The Hollows. Now he’s ready to make a little more noise with his epic “Legend of Pillar” series, the chronicle of an unassuming police detective with a big role to play in the fate of the world. Book one, Pillar’s Fall, is out now, and Larken is hard at work on its follow-up. The author was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions for Horror World, and to give a little peek at the plans he has in store for Thomas Pillar.

HORROR WORLD: Let's start off with your latest book, Pillar's Fall. Tell us a little about the character and how you came up with him.

BEN LARKEN: Detective Thomas Pillar is kind of my Biblical Job. In chapter one (of Pillar’s Fall) he’s happy and fulfilled, but before that chapter’s even over he’s headed down a very painful path that’s only going to get darker. The question of if he can make it through this test is what really drives the story. And that’s how he got the name. I liked the idea of matching Doubting Thomas to something as strong as a pillar. He’s got strength and skepticism in equal measure, and the demon he’s up against plays off of both of those qualities.

With the words "Book One" in the book’s subtitle, it's clear you intend to write about the character again - what is it about this character that is appealing to you creatively, and what about him will appeal to readers?

I wanted this first one to play like an origin story. You’ve got this man who’s destined for greatness, whether that’s Gandhi greatness or Hitler greatness remains to be seen. He’s going to be the deciding factor in the coming war between humans and demons, and may even be the instigator of it. That’s all in the future, but in this story I wanted to explore his central goodness and how tough it is to hang onto that when your world’s falling down around you. If there’s one thing most of us can relate to, it’s that desire to keep our heads above water during the hard times. People are definitely going to root for Pillar.

How many more Thomas Pillar books do you have planned? Is this intended to be a finite series with an endgame in mind, or is it an open-ended series at this point?

Finite to be sure. I think journeys are so much better when the author already has a destination in mind. Right now I’m planning seven books, and the endgame is nothing less than the end of the world. I’ve always wanted to do one of those epically huge disaster stories. Mine just involves demons instead of meteors or earthquakes. It’ll be a while ‘til we get there, but I’m looking forward to depicting my version of the apocalypse. And the ride leading up to it will hopefully be a thrilling roller coaster.

There appears to be plenty of heavy subject matter in Pillar's Fall - the idea of an innocent child being in danger because of actions beyond his control, the unraveling of a marriage - where does this stuff come from? 

Yeah, there’s definitely a lot of innocence lost or misplaced in this story. I’m going to sound like the most demented person in the world, but when I first got the idea for this book I actually worked at a children’s home. I helped care for kids with major behavioral disorders, and trying to get around the problems that controlled these kids to the sweetness hiding inside certainly played a big part in creating the Seth character. Even the most challenging kids, if you can see where they’re coming from and the pain they’ve had to endure, it’s not hard to understand why acting out is the logical result. In Seth’s case, he has a literal demon hiding inside of him, and this was my way of saying blame the problem, not the kid.
 
The unraveling marriage is one of the facets of trust that’s played with constantly throughout the story. Once Pillar has been traumatized by the events in the first chapter, he constantly struggles to analyze everyone else’s motivations. His wife, his mother, and his partner on the job all come under scrutiny, and the lack of trust plays a big part in where this story is headed.

Why do you think writers - and readers - enjoy dealing with real-world problems within a supernatural setting? 

I guess you could call it a coping mechanism. Sometimes it’s easier to examine the world through a shroud of fantasy. That’s the highbrow way to put it. Me? I just love creatures with sharp teeth and razor claws. And I’m fascinated by the idea that there’s a whole layer surrounding us, full of ghosts, demons, and angels, that we can’t see. I wanted to explore that world a bit.

Let's go back to your first novel, Pit-Stop. It got good reviews, and landed you your first EPIC eBook AWard for Best Horror. Now that you've got some distance and a couple more books under your belt, what are your thoughts on your debut? Is there anything about it you would go back and change?

I’d be lying if I said I never thought of ways to go back and tweak that one. But you know, I’m pretty proud of it. Pit-Stop gave me the most feedback by far. I think it’s the ending. No one ever seems to see that ending coming, which I love. What may surprise you is that Pillar actually was first in terms of story ideas, and Pit-Stop came from dissecting one of the plot points I had originally planned for later in the Pillar series. Not that I’d ever change it back. Pit-Stop was an awesome way to introduce myself as a horror author, and I hope it’s one that keeps getting discovered by readers in years to come.

There are a lot of noir elements in your work - any thoughts of writing straight noir without the supernatural elements?

I'd actually love to do that. I have a few crime thriller ideas percolating in the back of my head, and I hope to give it a serious try. I love reading Elmore Leonard and James Ellroy, and leaping into that end of the pool would be the best kind of challenge.

Who are your influences as a writer?

I have obvious ones and not-so-obvious ones. Of course, there's Stephen King, Jack Ketchum, Dan Simmons, and other horror authors. But I also love Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Sebold and Larry McMurtry. Good storytelling is good storytelling, and I'll take it in any genre I can get.

What books or stories got you into writing? What are you reading now that people should know about?

Gotta go back to the King for that one. I remember being a pre-teen and reading Pet Sematery in its entirety without blinking once - at least that's the way it felt at the time. I clearly remember wishing I could write a story that would make readers say HOLY CRAP as they reached the last page. To be held in a grip of terror like that isn't something that happens often, especially in these desensitized times. But good writing can still reel you in.

As for what I'm reading now, I'm jumping back and forth between A Clash of Kings (the second “Game of Thrones” book) and A Dark Matter by Peter Straub, both of which I'm totally enjoying.

Do you write short stories?

Not as many as I should, but yes, I have a half dozen or so in my computer, waiting to see the light of day. My problem always ends up being if it's a story I like, I want to expand it until it's no longer a short story. Exhibit A: Pit-Stop.

What's coming from you after Pillar's Fall?

I actually have two books written and in the editing process right now, both of them sequels. One of them is the next Pillar story, called Exit Us. And then a sequel to (Larken’s second book) The Hollows. I'm hoping they'll be unleashed on the world sometime this year. Currently, I'm about 100 pages into writing Pillar 3. After that, I'm hoping to jump into a good stand-alone novel I've been dying to do.

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